RELI 302 Lecture Notes - Vellum, Hand Tool, Bruce M. Metzger
Document Summary
Parchment was an ancient writing material typically made from the skins of sheep and goats. The terms parchment and vellum are often used interchangeably, but the latter designation refers strictly to the finer skins of a smaller animal, such as a calf or kid. Latin, parchment was usually called pergamena or membrana, and in greek, diphthera or derma. The word parchment is derived from the name of the city pergamon (or. Pergamum) in asia minor, where parchment is putatively considered to have been invented, at least according to popular tradition. Pliny the elder reports (nh, xiii 11, quoting varro) that parchment was invented (latin, repertas) in pergamon as a result of a rivalry between king eumenes of. Pergamon (ii, 197-159 b. c. e. ) and king ptolemy of egypt (v epiphanes, 205-180. According to this account, king ptolemy stopped the exportation of papyrus, and so the pergamemes invented parchment to be used in place of papyrus.
